If 10 unit blocks each including a stack of 100 bank bills are to be stacked in order of serial number in an integrating step, for example, a step of aligning the unit blocks in numerical order should be performed before the integrating step. A conventional unit block aligning device responsible for this type of alignment is represented by patent literature 1, for example. In this unit block aligning device, a large sheet block including a stack of large sheets each given multiple prints in vertical lines and horizontal lines is cut into multiple line unit blocks, the multiple line unit blocks formed by the cutting are aligned in a large number of lines, each of all these lines is cut sequentially from the front end to form a large number of printed unit blocks, the resultant printed unit blocks are fed onto an alignment line and aligned in numerical order, and then supplied to the integrating step. In this device, aligning the unit blocks is extremely insufficient work and becomes an obstacle to efficiency increase in the integrating step. Additionally, a considerably large cutter is required to cut a large number of aligned line unit blocks at a time.
The invention of patent literature 2 filed by the applicant of this application has been suggested as a remedy for the aforementioned issue. According to the invention of patent literature 2, a printed unit block group in each of serial number groups is fed vertically and transferred and charged on an upper rail. As the upper rail moves to a releasing position, the charged printed unit block group in each of the serial number groups is dropped onto a lower rail group.
Next, the printed unit block group in each of the serial number groups dropped onto the lower rail is fed horizontally and transferred to supporting means collectively. Then, as the supporting means moves to a releasing position, the printed unit block group in each of the serial number groups is dropped onto an alignment transfer rail. Printed unit blocks are aligned in a vertical direction in order of serial number along the alignment transfer rail, fed vertically to an integrating step, and then taken out.
As a result, the printed unit block group is processed and aligned in each line unit cut out from a large sheet block.
The invention of patent literature 2 has a two-story structure with the upper rail and the lower rail group perpendicular to each other. The printed unit block group in each of the serial number groups is fed vertically and charged on the upper rail along a conveyor with a pusher provided on an upper part of the upper rail so as to extend parallel to the upper rail. As the upper rail moves to the releasing position, the charged printed unit block group is dropped onto the lower rail group. Then, the printed unit bock group in each of the serial number groups is fed horizontally along a conveyor with a pusher provided on a lower part of each lower rail so as to extend parallel to the lower rail and then supplied to an alignment line. In this way, work of producing a state where the printed unit block group in each of the serial number groups is aligned in a vertical direction along the alignment line and vertically feeding the printed unit block group to a subsequent step is carried out appropriately in limited space.